Recurring Problems with Nursing Homes #3

Dan Frith

Contributor

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Lauren and I have reviewed over 500 potential nursing home cases over the years and we see some problems over and over and over again. I decided we would share with our readers some of the more frequent problems...and the answers.

Problem #3: You are told that your father must have a feeding tube inserted because he is taking too long to eat.

Wrong! Feeding tubes are a last resort. The nursing home must take specific steps toward maintaining a resident's ability to eat. The steps include: (1) prompting the resident to eat, (2) providing therapy to improve swallowing skills, (3) feed the resident by hand, (4) providing foods which are more easily eaten such as pureed foods, (5) provide utensils with easy to grip handles.

A resident's slowness in eating is not a sufficient reason for the placement of a feeding tube. The fact the nursing home has failed to hire sufficient staff to feed the residents is not a sufficient reason for the use of a feeding tube.